Statement of Holy Assembly of Bishops

COMMUNIQUE OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Gathered at the autumn meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops, we the Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church headed by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, in these difficult times which our Church and the faithful are facing in Kosovo and Metohija, first of all express our support to His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Raška-Prizren, his clergy, monastics and the faithful people of the Diocese of Raška-Prizren in their efforts to persist and remain in Kosovo and Metohija, the heartland of the Serbian Orthodox spirituality and our identity.

The public communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from their regular meeting held at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery and Belgrade April 29 – May 10, 2017

The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began on April 29, 2018 at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery with the joint serving of the holy hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the invocation of the Holy Spirit and continued at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Participating in the Assembly were all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

We, the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the ancient and glorious Patriarchate of Pech, gathered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for the regular convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops in the historic See of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs, the Monastery of the Patriarchate of Pech, and in the republic capital Belgrade. During this preparatory year for the Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Autocephaly of our Church of Saint Sava (1219-2019), concerned with the survival and wellbeing of the Serbian people and their holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija, headed by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch, direct this message to all faithful sons and daughters of our holy Church, as well as local and international media.

Statement of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the beginning of their regular May session on the current situation on Kosovo and Metohija.

From its historical seat, the monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec, which with its faithful people has passed a crucifixion-resurrection path of suffering and renewal, thirty-seven years after a setting fire to a refectory of the Patriarchate of Pec, twenty-one years since the martyr's death of Hieromonk Stephan, spiritual father of this sacred convent, - the Holy Assembly of Bishops, presided over by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, following visitations to our holy shrines - Patriarchate of Pec, monasteries of Decani and Zociste, and after conversations with the competent diocesan Bishop, diocesan clergy, monastics and faithful people in Pec, Prizren and Velika Hoca, issues the flowing statement concerning the current situation on Kosovo and Metohija.

The public communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from their regular meeting held at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery and Belgrade May 14-24, 2017

The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery with the joint serving of the holy hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the invocation of the Holy Spirit and continued at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Participating in the Assembly were all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the exception of Bishop Lukijan of Osijek and Baranja, who for health reasons was unable to attend.

Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held in Belgrade May 14-25, 2016

The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery with the joint serving of the holy hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the invocation of the Holy Spirit and continued in Prizren with the rite of consecration of the renovated Prizren Seminary. Afterward, all regular meetings, under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, were held in Belgrade. Participating in the Assembly were all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the exception of Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac who, out of justifiable reasons, was not able to attend.

The most important theme of this year’s Assembly was preparation of the Serbian Orthodox Church to take part in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, to meet this June in Crete. Regarding this forthcoming pan Orthodox Council, the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, adopted a document expressing their principle position on all major issues to be discussed and decided upon at the Great Council.

Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops ofthe Serbian Orthodox Church held in Belgrade May 14-29, 2015

The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church took place at the Serbian Patriarchate took place at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade from May 14 – 29, 2015 under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Participating in the Assembly were all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the exception of Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabra Bosna. Also present at the Assembly for the first time since the 2011 meeting was His Beatitude Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje Jovan, released a few months prior from the Skoplje Idrizovo prison in large part through the efforts of His Holiness Russian Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church, in cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church to the measure possible.